


The Miraculous Train Robbery

by hesychia



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bandits, Alternate Universe - Western, Country & Western, Gen, One Shot, Short One Shot, Western
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24595954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hesychia/pseuds/hesychia
Summary: In the year 1878, Felix Graham de Vanily is headed west to seek his fortune in the gold mines of the Black Hills. However, his journey is interrupted by an outlaw gang known as the Miraculous, led by the famous Ladybug and Chat Noir. The bandits arrive with the intention to rob the train's passengers, but a revealed secret causes a slight hitch in the outlaws' scheme.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	The Miraculous Train Robbery

The train traveled west, and Felix Graham De Vanily sat in the first seat of the front passenger car, facing the east.  


He was a slight man, not yet twenty years of age, with blonde hair greased back beneath a broad brimmed black hat. He dressed modestly, all in dark clothing like a preacher, and his green eyes flashed up at any other passengers who glanced his way, mistaking him for a man of the cloth. This assumption was further justified by the single black bag he carried with him, resting in his lap where his gloved hand lay atop the luggage.  


Felix stared out the window at the empty plains of Nebraska, mesas rising like wrecked galleons from the sea of grass. The train rocked and churned beneath him, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He turned away from the glass, examining the other passengers in his car.  


Three men sat at a table in the center, talking loudly as they played a game of cards, with a few scattered observers. A young girl and her mother were seated in the opposite corner, the former reading while the latter embroidered a handkerchief. On his side of the train, he saw an older couple with their backs to him, a few scattered gentlemen reading papers or sleeping restlessly.  


The train lurched beneath them and began to slow. Felix exhaled a sigh of relief, which caught in his throat when his eyes returned to the window to see no sign of civilization.  


He turned in his seat to see an approaching water tower, hissing impatiently to himself before settling back in and tapping his fingers on the bag. Felix heard someone clear their throat and looked across the aisle to where the young girl sat, her eyes looking up from the book in her white gloved hand. She smiled shyly at him; caught off guard, he averted his gaze quickly, eyeing the rest of the train to see if he’d drawn any more unwanted attention.  


When he was certain he wasn’t being watched, he looked down and unlatched the black bag, removing a folded piece of paper. As he flipped the parchment over, his mind already began to echo the text before he saw the words:

REWARD  
($2000)  
FOR THE CAPTURE OF THE GANG KNOWN AS THE MIRACULOUS  
FOR STAGECOACH ROBBERY AND KIDNAPPING OF ADRIEN AGRESTE  
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE  
$500 PER MEMBER  
KNOWN ALIASES: LADYBUG, CHAT NOIR, RENA ROUGE, CARAPACE  
CONTACT THE NEAREST U.S. MARSHALL’S OFFICE

He fixed his eyes on the illustration in the center; Ladybug herself, a mask with black polka dots concealing all her features save for her monolid eyes, which seemed to glisten smugly at him. Her hair was gathered into two black ponytails at her neck, a brimmed hat atop her head. He stared at her until the train shuddered, beginning to move once more. The parchment crinkled in his hands as he refolded it, putting it away and again resuming his sullen gaze out the window.  


Felix glared at the strip of earth beside the train track that met the grass. Just as the train began to return to full speed, he saw a body there laying face down in the dirt.  


He jolted in his seat, staring silently at the unconscious man, noting his overalls and recognizing him as one of the crew members from the engine cab of the train. In moments, he disappeared from view; Felix looked up to see that none of the other passengers had seemed to notice.  


He froze for a moment, before standing slowly and moving towards the front door. Felix peered through to see only the several cars of mining equipment, fronted by the coal and engine cars. A brief flurry of movement in the barely visible backhead gave him the assurance he needed; Felix felt the eyes of the young girl in the corner seat and he muttered something about fresh air before opening the door and stepping onto the platform outside.  


Felix heard voices from the cab just over the thunder of the train, though neither were as loud as the pounding of his own heart. He held the bag to his chest, before tossing it across the gap between cars; the bag landed beside a mining cart, strapped down by chains and covered by a canvas. He took a deep sharp breath and unhitched the chain between the railing; he leapt to the flatbed, grabbing hold of the chains strapping the mining cart to steady himself.  


Felix looked up to see two pairs of hands grasping at the heap of coal in the second car, followed by two bodies. He made quick work untying the canvas atop the mining cart, pulling it aside. He grabbed his bag and hauled both it and himself into the cart, yanking the canvas back over the opening to cover himself.  


Squished inside the metal of the mining cart, his fingers fumbled around in the black bag, wrapping around a pistol. He muttered an empty prayer, waiting silently. 

* * *

The door of the car swung open, and the passengers all looked up to see a man and woman enter. The man was tall, clad completely in black from his boots to the bandana covering his face, leaving only his glistening green eyes and shaggy blond hair visible under the black rimmed hat. The woman wore dark boots and pants, a red shirt with black fringe, and a red polka dot bandana that concealed the lower half of her face. She flashed her blue eyes at the train passengers, red hat over her black hair pulled into side ponytails. In one hand she carried a pistol, an empty bag in the other. The young girl in the front corner gasped loudly and whispered, “Ladybug.”  


Ladybug lifted the pistol and aimed it skyward, cocking her hip out and tossing the bag over her shoulder as she addressed the passengers in a thick southern drawl. “Afternoon. My name is Ladybug, and this here’s my partner, Chat Noir.”  


The man in black raised an eyebrow, bowing comically. “Bonjour; listen up now, my lady has something important to say.”  


She continued, “This train has been hijacked by our gang, the Miraculous. We’ll need y’all to empty your pockets and make your way into the next car.” Both of them cocked their pistols and aimed them at the group. The passengers leapt to their feet, hands raised.  


Chat Noir quipped, “And let’s conduct ourselves accordingly. We don’t want anyone... going off the rails.”  


The mother of the girl pulled out her purse, placing her cash in Ladybug’s hand for the bandit to stuff into the bag. The young girl hesitated before holding out her book, but Ladybug shook her head. “Just here for money, miss; nothin’s more important than an education.”  


Once they’d relieved the passengers of their assets, they herded the group down the aisle and into the next car over. When the final person made their exit, Chat Noir shut the door, glancing over at Ladybug. “That accent of yours always gives me the chills, milady.”  


She rolled her eyes playfully, speaking in her regular American accent, “You’ll have more than that when I’m through with you. Got the dynamite?”  


He removed a stick from his pocket. “Never leave home without it.”  


The two walked back through the car, emerging from the front door and hopping across the gap to the flatbed holding the mining equipment. Chat Noir removed a set of matches from his pocket, indicating for her to move back. “Careful, Ladybug; don’t want to blow you away.”  


“I’d like to see you try.” Ladybug crossed through the chained down materials, steadying herself as the train rattled beneath her feet. She took cover behind a large crate in the middle of the flatbed, placing the bag of cash beside her.  


Chat Noir struck the match, lighting the dynamite and placing it between the couplers linking the cars. He leapt back, taking shelter behind a minecart.  


The explosion rocked the flatbed, and both bandits leaned out from their positions to see the trail of passenger cars grow more distant, the back end of the train rolling to a halt on the tracks with no connection to the engine. Ladybug emerged, sighing with relief as she lowered her bandana. “Still got your fingers, Chat?”  


He stood from behind the mine cart, his green eyes twinkling cheekily as he flexed his black gloved hand. “Looks that way.”  


The mine cart erupted and a figure rose from beneath the canvas, pressing a gun to Chat Noir’s chest. The bandit’s eyes widened in helpless surprise as his attacker snarled, “Put the gun away, Ladybug!”  


She froze, staring in horror at the face of the man; his green eyes were eerily familiar to her, though she couldn’t quite place them.  


“Now! Throw it down!”  


She steeled her gaze and dropped the gun, raising her hands. “It’s done. Don’t do anything rash.”  


“Good.” He used his other hand to clench Chat Noir’s upper arm, steadying himself as he stepped out of the minecart and onto the flatbed. The wind whipped at his black coat as he called, “Now stop this train!”  


“I can’t.”  


“Of course you can!”  


“I-” Ladybug composed herself. “Our… colleague, Carapace, is at the front of the train, holding the engineer at gunpoint. We already knocked out the fireman and dropped him off; Carapace is waiting for our signal to exit the train.”  


“Exit?” The man frowned. “But… you detached the passenger car. You already have your getaway.”  


Chat Noir cleared his throat. “If I may-”  


The man pressed his pistol against the bandit’s throat. “You may not.” He continued to address Ladybug, “Well?”  


“We don’t have a lot of time. Please, just let him go, and leave this train before it’s too late.”  


The man narrowed his green eyes suspiciously. “Too late for what?”  


A voice came from the backhead at the front, drowned out by the thunder of the engine. Ladybug made out the word “bridge”, and glanced back to see the fast approaching rail crossing, a lazy river winding beneath the elevated track. She fixed her eyes on the man. “We’re not trying to steal this equipment; we’re destroying it. The bridge up ahead is rigged with explosives, and if we don’t leave soon, we’ll all be blown to bits! Please! Just let him go!”  


The man gaped at her. “Destroy it? Why?”  


Ladybug huffed in annoyance. “I don’t have time to explain!” She glanced back again. The bridge was even closer now; she could make out the stack of dynamite in the center. She saw the engineer leap from the backhead and roll down the grassy slope into a grove of trees, followed swiftly by Carapace. They had less than thirty seconds. “Please!”  


Chat Noir saw the terror in her face and, sensing a moment of hesitation in his captor, lowered his arm swiftly to shove his elbow against the man’s ribs. His captor cried out in pain, and Chat Noir whipped around to face him, reaching for his hand and twisting his enemy’s wrist so that he dropped the pistol. The man snarled into the bandit’s features, and they both froze instantly, eyes widening as each man stared into a face that almost completely resembled his own.  


Chat Noir let out a hushed whisper, “Felix?”  


Felix breathed, “Adrien?”  


From the other side of the flatbed, Ladybug screamed, “Chat, now!” and grabbed her pistol and the bag of cash before leaping from the car, tucking and rolling down the sloping hillside. Rocked from his realization, Chat shoved the man off the flatbed, following suit immediately just as the train hit the elevated track of the bridge.  


Chat slowed to a roll at the bottom of the hill, looking up through the trees just in time to see a flaming arrow land amidst the stack of dynamite in the center of the bridge, igniting in an inferno that shook the nearby landscape with its intensity and swallowed the train. The flames devoured the engine and the cars of mining equipment, the bridge collapsing beneath the explosion. The weight of the cars crushed the weakened crossing, and the materials plummeted into the river, hissing angrily as the fiery machine met the gentle water.  


He sighed in relief, looking up as Ladybug emerged from the trees and moved to his side. Her hat was gone, and she was holding her arm where he saw a streak of dark blood against the crimson of her shirt. “Chaton… Are you alright?”  


He blinked up at her before leaping to his feet and rushing to her side, ignoring his own injuries to take her in his arms. “Yes, yes milady.”  


She did not return his embrace, but pressed her forehead against his shoulder, whispering triumphantly, “We did it.”  


Chat Noir pulled her closer, murmuring into her black hair, “Yes, we did.”  


He looked back suddenly, eyes seeking Felix and where he may have fallen. Chat Noir raked his gaze over the brush, the trees, but saw no movement, no proof that there was ever anyone else there. “Felix! Felix!”  


“Ladybug!” A new voice came from the trees, followed by a woman of their same age with dark skin, dark red hair pulled into neat side braids. Her shirt was a soft tan, with deerskin fringed pants and an orange bandana around her throat. She held a bow at her side. “Both of you okay?”  


“Yes, Rena, we’re fine.” The black-haired girl smirked at her. “Nice shot, by the way.”  


Rena shrugged, grinning. “What can I say? My grandfather’s warriors taught me well.” She raised an eyebrow at Chat, who was ignoring them and still looking wildly around. “I have the horses tied to a tree beside the river; Wayzz is already hitched to the wagon, whenever we’re ready.”  


Ladybug eyed Chat with concern.”Chaton?”  


Chat Noir moved away from them, rushing towards the trees. He spotted a distant figure and called, “Felix?”  


The figure became more visible, revealing another man, wearing a green shirt and bandana, with dark skin, cropped black hair, and brown eyes. He waved a tan hat towards himself. “No, my name is Carapace, Chat. Car-a-pace.” He frowned as he moved closer. “Did you hit your head? Do you have short term memory loss now?” His eyes widened. “Wait, do you remember our poker game last night? Because if you don’t, I definitely won, and you definitely owe me 5 dollars and not the other way around.”  


The black clad bandit looked past him, eyes glazed as he sought movement of any kind. “Felix!” He jumped at the feel of a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Ladybug, her pale fingers pulling back from him.  


“Are… are you okay, Chaton?”  


“Y… Yes. Yes, I’m fine.”  


Rena pulled her bow over her shoulders. “Who’s Felix?”  


“Yes,” Ladybug added, frowning at him. “Who is Felix?”  


Chat Noir blinked at her for a moment, unsure where to start.  


Ladybug’s blue eyes softened as she gazed at him. “Adrien?”  


Adrien made eye contact with all of them, before sighing and removing the black bandana from his throat. “Felix Graham de Vanily… is my cousin.”  


There was silence for a moment, before Carapace asked, “So… what was he doing on the train to Sidney?”  


The black clad bandit considered. “He must be heading to the Black Hills, to join my father at his mine.”  


They all winced at the thought; Adrien’s father was a shrewd, relentless man, and no one to be trifled with. Rena narrowed her eyes. “Join him for what? To destroy the sacred mountains even further? Steal more land from my people?”  


Adrien thought for a moment. “He must be seeking a fortune. Felix’s father died years ago, leaving his mother and him destitute with nothing but their name.” His eyes widened. “Once word reached him that I’d disappeared-”  


Carapace interjected. “You mean ‘been kidnapped’.”  


Adrien smiled halfheartedly. “Yes, kidnapped.” He continued, “He may have thought he could take my place at my father’s side and help him run the business.”  


Rena clenched her fist. “What business? The business of blowing up the mountain? Killing my people?!”  


Adrien gazed at her sorrowfully. “That’s… that’s not all.” He bowed his head. “On the train just then… I pulled my mask down after I disconnected the passenger car. I didn’t realize he was on the flatbed and…”  


“And?” Carapace asked.  


“And… he recognized me.”  


The group gasped. Ladybug asked, “Do you think he’d-”  


“Tell my father? Without a doubt.” There was a long moment of stillness before Adrien sighed and cracked a feeble grin. “The good news is, they’ll probably be removing the ‘dead’ part from my wanted dead or alive poster.” His green eyes steeled. “The bad news is that the reward on our heads is about to go up; way up.”  


They exchanged solemn glances, before Ladybug took a deep breath and asserted herself, removing the pistol from her hip and twirling the gun in her fingers. She smirked as she spoke once more in her phony southern drawl. “Well Miraculous, looks like we just became the most wanted outlaws in the Dakota Territory.”

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise! It's another bandit story.  
> This was my third wip in the last year that I tried to make into a multi-chapter fic and failed miserably, mostly due to my bogus 9-5. So I bit the bullet and wrote a one shot because hey; at least I posted something.  
> Originally, this fic was going to start with Adrien and Felix working together at Gabriel's gold mine in the Black Hills, with Adrien getting captured and subsequently joining Marinette, Alya, and Nino to create the outlaw gang. I had planned several arcs including Alya learning how to find a balance between her mixed French and Lakota heritage, Adrien and Nino coming to terms with their feelings for the ladies, and Marinette realizing her own ability to take charge and become a leader.
> 
> That being said, I will most likely not be continuing this story due to my work schedule. However, if you enjoyed this fic, please feel free to leave kudos or a comment, and I will respond as quickly as possible! Love and stuff!


End file.
